Workers range from about 7–15 mm; queens are around 16–18 mm.
Fine-art photographic collection
Camponotus cruentatus
A bold, heat-loving carpenter ant that links woodland trees to the ground below.
About this species
Blood-red carpenter ant
Camponotus cruentatus(Latreille, 1802)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Camponotus cruentatus is one of the largest ants of the western Mediterranean. Workers forage widely for honeydew and animal food and can become conspicuous around oaks, pines and warm forest edges.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Camponotus
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
Western MediterraneanBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
Iberian Peninsula, southern France, parts of Italy and the western Mediterranean region.
Dry woodland, scrub, rocky slopes and sunny forest margins.
Often active from late afternoon into the night in hot conditions; activity increases in spring and summer.
Honeydew, nectar, plant exudates, carrion and captured arthropods.
Colonies are headed by a queen and include strongly polymorphic workers, with large majors used in defence and processing food.
What makes this species remarkable?
Its dark body is marked by warm reddish areas that give the species its distinctive appearance.
Workers can transport large food items cooperatively even though much foraging is carried out individually.
The species contributes to seed movement in Mediterranean plant communities.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
1